Alex Stalock excited about first start at SAP, and the mysterious line combinations

SAN JOSE – Goaltender Alex Stalock will get his first career start at home Saturday when the Sharks play the Dallas Stars to begin a two-game homestand before the Christmas break.

“He’s been able to go out and provide energy for our team, not only in the games that he plays but in practice situations,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan said of Stalock. “Players have a tendency to play for him, but it’s about him getting his chance to go again.”

Stalock has a 3-1 record in six games this season with a 2.06 goals against average and a .930 save percentage. Stalock’s last start came Dec. 6 in a 4-3 loss at Carolina, as Antti Niemi has been in the San Jose net for the last six games.

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“You obviously don’t want to be comfortable with this role, everyone’s ultimate goal is to play in this league,” Stalock said. “That’s still my goal, but to stay sharp, you have to be at your best in practice and that’s what I try to do.”

McLellan was tight-lipped about potential line combinations for tonight’s games, and there wasn’t much to glean from the morning skate as Logan Couture, Marty Havlat, Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski did not participate. All are expected to play, however.

Friday’s practice had Joe Thornton skating with Marleau and Pavelski, and McLellan said Saturday that guys who normally don’t fill top 6 roles will get that opportunity.

“Where we’re at right now with our game, we’re not playing at a high enough level to win consistently, and that’s shown in the wins and losses that we’ve accumulated over the past couple weeks,” McLellan said. “So the level of play for everybody has to go up, then after that, we have to find combinations that we think will work.

“Coaches will say all the time this gives others an opportunity to step up and assume more, but that’s what we say before it happens. While its happening, we want to see players evolve. We want to see more from players who maybe haven’t been out in those situations before, be it power plays, and we when we find that individual, or individuals, we’ll reward them with that.”

When the coach says the Sharks are not playing at a high enough level (work ethic issues) even in wins, we hear nothing from the publicity department.

But when I say it, and have been saying it even before McLellan went on record as saying he is severely concerned, I get bashed.

Normally I would say losing your top rookie would weigh on a team their first game without him, but I’m not really sure that’s applicable to the Sharks. In fact, I doubt Marleau is even aware yet…he prolly just rolled out of bed anyway.

But overall, I do think this is a crushing blow to the Sharks. Wilson better do something quick, and I mean quick.

Burns on Hertl: “He’s a great player. I don’t know what’s going on (with his injury), I
have no idea,” Sharks forward Brent Burns said. “… It tough to go
through it. It’s not fun, but it’s part of the game.”

Actually, it wouldn’t be part of the game if Shanahan had a sack between his legs. The number of dangerous cheap shots that go unpunished is pretty outrageous.

I think the Hertl goal earlier this year was one of the most watched NHL videos this year. Now this kid, who a lot of hockey fans would like to see, isn’t going to be there.

Until these guys that put other players careers at risk start paying a real price, the game won’t be as good as it could be.

Dirty

Deal with it.

Teejay

Does anyone have any information on a possible suspension for Brown’s hit on Hertl?

ZEKE

As for our line combos going forward, I think we’ll really miss Hertl. We can be a very good team when we can be dangerous into the 3rd and 4th line. But losing a good player like Hertl means that we lose that essential depth. TMc can, for example, move Pavs up to the top line and the line would be at least as good. But that would weaken the 3rd line a bunch, and perhaps the 4th line, depending on how things filled in.

Getting Raffi and Burish back will help some, but truth is, they are modest upgrades over the guys playing now. Mike Brown looks pretty similar to Burish. Raffi is an upgrade over McCarthy/Sheppard if he fully recovers. From what I’ve seen elsewhere, that kind of knee injury, a full recovery in less than a year is pretty unusual.

SactoShark

Apparently they are not going to even meet on it

ZEKE

Brown won’t miss any games. The only thing missing is a sack between Shanahan’s legs

SactoShark

A headline you are not likely to ever see from the Sharks

Markov, angered by hit from behind on NASH tying goal, gets misconduct and will miss rest of regulation

renoshark

Judging by Raffi’s game after we traded for him last year, I think he’s a significant upgrade over most of our bottom-6 players. The Raffi, Pavs, Wingels line was, at times, our best line. Not having that line intact since Day 1 this season has had an impact. Otherwise, agree with you on Burish and Raffi’s recovery time from an ACL injury. I don’t think he or Hertl will be 100% until next season. Hopefully these guys stay healthy for a whole season at some point.

Hockeynut

No need. Even Drew said it wasn’t a bad hit. An unfortunate incident but not suspension worthy.

SactoShark

Didnt Torres play on the second line with Marleau and Couture as well last year?

Kind of remember that line as effective

Hockeynut

Yeah having those two third liners out is tough. I wonder how teams like Pitt and STL are able to survive with four or five top guys out? Or L.A. having to play their THIRD goalie so much?

Matthew

Yeah, kinda like Raffi on Stoll…not suspensi….wait…what????

Hockeynut

Drew agrees with you on that hit as well.

Matthew

So true…and why (sorry, Phil) I felt the Raffi pick up was a huge move. His absence is a big problem, and making me see those same ol’ Sharks. I know folks get upset on here when people say this, but… This team is fragile, and prone to long slumps and prone to get bullied a lot.

Matthew

I had come up with the following on the giants extra blog:

My Little Brain Shakes Frequently..

You have to admit that he can be entertaining, no? A bit pessimistic, to be sure….

Matthew

There goes Brad again…can’t get the puck out and then has one deflect in off of him later in the play.

MLBSF

Matthew,

Even you have to admit the Sharks AND the Warriors are an absolute mess. All we have to look forward to are the 49ers.

ZEKE

One jittery goal. Its been that kind of month

Clemenza

Can someone please get Randy Hahn some tea & lemon??

STAT!!

SactoShark

Too soft. I was down on starting StaYlock too.

No one looks good, maybe Wingels, puck bouncing weird

Dumb penaliy by Brown

SactoShark

Now my throat hurts

Clemenza

What’s the over/under for the part of the game he loses his voice?

ZEKE

funny — we are listening to radio and watching TV. Radio is a few seconds ahead, but I heard Randy just before the game started. Hope Drew can pick up the slack …

ZEKE

no goal? talk about a huge break!

Matthew

Admit.

Expected.

Wow. I think I might smh

Matthew

Let’s hope that goal is a turning point in this stretch….

Alex

Kurtz is saying that Hertl may be out for the season. WTF?

Alex

Jeez, man, I was laughing so hard.

Matthew

That’s what I feared…

So, elfin buddy…how’s your boys effort tonight?

SactoShark

In the space of 10 seconds you see the difference between Havlat’s failed attempt to get into the zone and shoot, and Nieto’s ability to do same successfully.

SactoShark

Ive down the same..delay the radio feed to synch up with the TV..best way is for the sound off a shot off the Boards..but you have to synch up every period and sometimes long commercials..pain

spooky

OK win. We won OK whatever. Great to get 2 points thats I know is important so whatever. I could stop here and go.
But I can’t help to say couple of things:
Anybody tired of Burns going into Battles with his butt ? Fighting for the puck by turning away from the puck ? you do it once out of ten, ok. but common is this your best shot?
Then WTF with not playing Sheppard ? since when is playing 18 or 43, 83, and can go half the roster, a better choice ?
For some reason we won and i am pissed.

Matthew

Spooky, at least Brown hit people…I can do without Havlat…with you on McCarthy…meh.

SactoShark

Sheppard has been given plenty of chances..al Fail

MLBSF

It wasn’t pretty. And if you want to yell at someone, yell at Drew who was the one who said that on air.

Yes it was positive coming back from a 2-0 deficit. And Alex looked good in the net…especially in the SO. But for the most part, that was just terrible Sharks hockey.

And up until Thornton scored in the shootout, that was one of the most god-awful-looking shootouts by the Sharks I’ve seen all year.

We all know the Sharks stink in shootouts, and they sure lived up to it tonight. Is Pavelski going back to his trademark shot that never goes in? He was doing a fake move that had been successful, but now he’s back to his old ways. smh

And Marleau’s attempt was just embarrassing as he let the team down again. What exactly was that shot anyway? One of these days, maybe I will be able to comment on an impressive win. This was not such. Believe you me.

sharks1989

Where and when did he say that? I can’t find it.

ZEKE

Didn’t catch it, was the ref who waived off the goal really the 2nd star?

SactoShark

Kurtz is a wanne be 8th liner

Alex

On TV, during the 2nd intermission of today’s game.

Alex

Yep. We caught a huge break there, it should have been a goal.

sharks1989

I have a question. If a goalie blatantly trips a shooter in the shootout and clearly prevents him from getting a shot what is the action taken?

sharks1989

ah ok I wasn’t able to watch this one. Man I hope that’s not true.

ZEKE

We lost a game vs Buffalo in OT on a blown goal. They say over 82 games, things tend to even out. It would be hard to imagine the Sharks coming back from down 3-0

Alex

That’s exactly right.

MLBSF

Alex you shush. My brain isn’t that little. smh

Phat Stat Phil

I’m not a big fan of McCarthy, but he’s a decent center for the fourth line.

Brown’s actually had a lot of hustle. I’ve come to really like his game, though I didn’t care for the penalties he took last night.

I’m fine with Nieto being in the rotation for his development. He still hasn’t found his way at the NHL level and played to his capability. I would have liked to see him replace Hertl in the lineup to help him along with that, but he’s had his chances there, so it’s hard to say.

Sheppard’s been doing really well — and he’s been playing his way up lines as a result of that. I agree that it’s a little bit of a mystery that McLellan decided to keep him out this game. Maybe Sheppard’s a little banged up?